Starkehre

Absolutely welcome :)

One of my previous young bitches was diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoid Hyperplasia, somewhere between rear of her throat and nasal passage. There was no treatment offered for this and had we not been doing exploratory procedure surrounding her brachycephalic syndrome, we probably would not have know about it. The specialists (two did this procedure at the same time - one throat and one nose specialist) said that the hyperplasia was most likely caused by the throat obstructions (elongated palet and everted laryngeal saccules and enlarged tonsils or possibly even allergy related. Either way, they did say that not a huge amount was known but because of the reactive cells, one could not rule out that this may be the start of cancer. Obviously very different in positioning, so no doubt different in treatment, causation and prognosis. Best wishes.

I pay significantly more than the average for my dogs' xrays, but I am OK with that. I am happy with my vet, their attention to anaesthesia, positioning and they allow me to be there with my dog. Results have been excellent and readers have forwarded comments to my vet for their expertise and skill in positioning and radiography. Gotta be thrilled with that and would take that over saving some bucks any day, but that's just me :)

We had a very large male Rottweiler desexed after 18 months and I can assure you his scrotum was huge, as were his testes. The sac has shrunk to nothing and didn't take long. We had NO baggy sac debulking done :D Some studies are now showing in that early desexing in larger and/or heavier breeds (and even desexing period) may leave dogs with a high propensity to ACL injuries, as well as all the other mentioned diseases. I believe this has a lot to do with testosterone based muscle, which significantly atrophies once dogs are desexed... more noticeable in these bigger breeds

Hi Steph. I have old desexed bitches that mark. It is a behaviour that can be modified if you choose to modify it. It doesn't bother me as it only during urination outdoors and helps when I have to eliminate my dogs on cue. I personally would also hold off desexing til 18 months (if you had to do it at all) if possible. Keep in mind, the entire bitch next door is unlikely to cycle for another 6 months or more. This could buy you some very important development time. But at the end of the day, most importantly, you should do what suits you and your household. When you do desex, if you are happy to spend money on bloods, I would suggest opting for fluids also. They really help in recovery and also kidney flushing. In a young healthy dog I would go for fluids before bloods. Best wishes with your decision.

Just saw this but based on their info - they may not be ANKC registered, just registered with the QLD CCC Link to their details on Pet Directory That is about all I can find on them - looks like they sell most of their dogs via gumtree (there were a few old gumtree ads - none of the dogs sold had hip or elbow scores (not that, that means anything, it is just noteworthy).. I know nothing about this breeder, but just wish to explain that individuals do not hold ANKC memberships or registration, nor do breeders. The state kennel clubs are the ones that are members of the ANKC, therefore if this breeder is a member of CCCQ (which they state they are) then this basically means that they are under the banner of the ANKC. Just for clarification :)

She said due to privacy reasons she cannot divulge any info and I did offer for her to give out my email address but she also said she could not do that either I would love to see what the rest of the litter look like And quite rightly, no breeder should divulge any other puppy buyers' details. My apologies for not explaining myself fully. Occasionally, even quite often in our breed puppy buyers end up meeting one another whilst puppies are babies, on a breeders FB page, during the take over period and then again later on at club training etc. With permission from individual new owners, swapping details via the breeder would be perfectly acceptable and even encouraged if it is something both parties wanted to do. If the breeder does not wish to forward your details onto others that might be happy to have contact with you, that is absolutely her prerogative, but it would be a case of her not wishing to, not that she couldn't.

My thought is that dogs generally face/position themselves so they can see what's coming ie backs to walls and face towards the doorways. Natures way of helping them protect themselves and their loved ones. People often do the same thing, furniture is set up this way, so you end up facing the same way, not towards one another. Highly pack focused dogs will face their owners fully focused for often long periods of time, particularly if they think that work or a reward might be coming. But when completely at rest they will relax and watch to see what might be coming. In bed it can also often be a heat factor.

You're suggesting someone to go Melbourne, from Sydney, to see a vet Oops my apologies, saw area and not Sydney. So, no I am not suggesting that, it was an error on my behalf.

A bit of a distance, but Jamie McNeil, Korumburra and Kooweerup.

Is the breeder not willing to share some of their puppy people info with you? If not you could request they forward your contact onto the others. Either way, there may not even be any in this state. good luck in your searches. :)

This is what I am saying Yes. It seems this is what most are trying to say. I think pretty much everyone would agree. I was just reiterating. :)

"Reasons" and "Excuses" are totally different things. The reason for certain behaviours may or may not be because a dog is a rescue dog. Regardless of whether or not it is the reason, it is still not an excuse and should never be excused. Sometimes owners try to explain, query, discuss, analyse what might be a possible reasons for some behaviours. Sometimes others perceive this as them making excuses. It pays to be clear if others are misinterpreting. In similar situations I might say "absolutely not making any excuses for my dog or it's behaviour, but I wondering/believing the reason for **** might be because of **** And on the other hand some owners simply use bad behaviours in rescue dog as an excuse :D

I rather feel it is a bit of a stretch to compare working dogs who have been trained and had their natural instincts honed to a fine degree with dogs who have never had any certainty in their lives such as Kirra: Dog mill, Pets Haven, and then two more homes. I totally agree that using "the dog is a rescue" as an excuse is no way to help the dog. Using it as a reason and then properly addressing any problems/issues with that knowledge is the way to help the dog. Many years ago now, we often used to source German Shepherds and sometimes Doberman from the pound to train top train in law enforcement and tracking/search and rescue. These dogs had no known genetic history and some had bitten people and were facing death row and others had simply wandered off and their owners were never located. They were what we call "green dogs" in working dog jargon, that is dogs that haven't been raised or trained for the job and are merely dogs of the right breeds that could be of potential use in various working roles. In those days, a lot of GSD's and Dobes ended up in the pound due to fear aggression and environmental instability and whilst it's true that abuse of a dog can trigger a fear reaction and as a learned behaviour to ease stress upon it's self, the dog becomes a fear biter, but the actual cause of fear based reactivity is what's known in working dog jargon is a nerve deficiency in that particular dog, that is the dog doesn't have adequate nerve structure to get over bad experiences which is in the genetic makeup of the dog. In other words, if a dog has been badly abused and ends up in rescue and still displays nervous or fear reactivity after a couple of days in passive and nicer environment, the dog's recovery is too slow to ever really be trained beyond it's default nervous behaviour reliably. Whilst training can raise the threshold triggering a nervous or fear reaction, training can't put nerve structure into a dog who genetically lacks it in the breeding. Especially where rescues are involved, dog's are often announced as victims of abuse as a reason for fearful behaviour, but in actual fact, the fearful behaviour is caused by the dog lacking the nerve structure for a better word, to get over stressful experiences once removed from that environment. The comment in regard to working dog being able to take different ownership in their stride is usually attributed to the selection of dogs bearing sound nerve structure in the first place which is crucial factor of a good working dog before the training even begins :) +1

There as an entire thread on this dog a few months ago. I am woeful at searches and links if anyone else would like to try and find it :D

I won't use a Springer or any other attachment. I hold the lead and find this a lot safer. I trust my grip and find myself adjusting it through the trip. I can also communicate with my dog better having this contact and control. I think it comes down to being a personal thing, what works best for you.

We do it often. The trick is to stick between around 8-13kph. I use a wrist GPS that I attach to my bike, but you know if your dog is not coping with the speed. Build it up slowly and make sure the dog is trotting and not galloping. If your dog has to gallop to keep up, then you are going too fast, not that is anything wrong with galloping but it is not a gait that the dog will sustain for any great lengths and is not as good for the dog. The average healthy adult dog of the majority of breeds should be able to gait alongside a bike for at least 2km without any real fitness training. A reasonably fit dog should be able to do at least 4km. Much more distance than that can take considerable training, building up and keeping your dog cardio fit. Every dog is different and just play individual fitness by ear. We like to keep our dogs at a fitness level of easily being able to do around 4km at an average of 9-11kph and we build them up for ETs, Agility trials and specialty shows. Biking dogs is loads of fun

Awesome pics of the kids as usual Grumpette

Yep, find a friend with a water crazy dog, competitive drive works a treat and can be used in many aspects of training, familiarising and building confidence :D

Our very loving and affectionate family. In this photo aged from 8 years - 3 months

Rottis LOVE to swim. They are considered an medium to large dog. You would be surprised at just how many people see a rotti up close for the first time and ask if it is a miniature. They are not as big as you may think. Of course dogs are bigger than bitches and if you desex prior to sexual maturity they end up significantly taller than they would if left entire for longer or indefinitely. They certainly are a strong dog and definitely thrive on living in a family environment. Being an assertive owner is just that. I would not expect it to change with a bigger dog. You do not need experience with a rotti to own one. Just some good basic knowledge of the breed and natural assertive leadership skills. It helps if you love the breed also. A chosen breed absolutely must suit the situation, but no point getting a breed you can't love... cause they really wanna love you lots :) Nek is right, temperaments vary a lot and if you go down this path get our advice because you do not want one from a high drive/working kennel. You want a calm, quiet dog. It will guard it's own and offer you all the feelings of security you need. Rottis LOVE kids. They are so affectionate and will happily play with their young family for hours or equally be content to lay around. Yes Rakaaz breeds lovely dogs with great temperaments. There are also good breeders in QLD and NSW.

Excellent point pers. We are building on our 5 acre block in the next few years and we currently have brand new good quality 6 strand farm fencing. In no way would we consider this adequate fencing for responsible dog ownership. The neighbours smallish dog on one side goes right up to the fence, sometimes right through and barks at us on our own property non stop when we are there working. Doesn't matter if our dogs are friendly or not, sure as shit if anything goes wrong, even on our property, everyone blames the bigger or scarier looking dogs. Doesn't matter who is technically at fault, we won't risk anything happening to our dogs, anyone elses dogs, live stock or wildlife. It is a responsibility we take very seriously. We plan to add 3' ringlock to the entire boundary fence, yet our dogs will still not even have access to this unless they are with us being trained. Our dogs are inside at night and spend a considerate amount of time indoors during the day, but when outdoors they will be in our good sized backyard surrounded by 6' color bond fencing, completely secure. And when we allow them outside this area for big runs, play and training they will be enclosed in a huge area surrounded by 6'cyclone fencing that will be standing off any neighbouring boundaries by 5 metres. Inside the 5mtr buffer we are planting screening trees and will utilize the remainder to train the dogs off alongside rideon when we dump the deck. Sorry for the drawn out explanation, just used as an example of explaining that there is no way I would consider even good farm fencing as adequate for dog containment, particularly if you own a dog that has guarding instincts.

CH. Clyzan Seven Deadly Sins (AI) PT Reflecting upon Sevens achievements over 2013, where she started the year at 10 months of age we have been truly thrilled with her results and development during this time. Seven kicked off the year in January gaining her Australian Champion Title in style, winning several quality Challenge Bitch, BOBs and Class In Group under mostly international judges and nearly all at KCC Park. In June and Oct Seven gained 2 working titles in the discipline of Herding. She achieved her Instinct Certificate, Herding Test Title and Pre Trial Title all with 100% successful pass rates. Throughout 2013 Seven travelled interstate (including QLD & WA) to compete in Rottweiler Specialty Shows on 8 separate occasions. Amongst the Victorian and interstate specialty shows she competed in she was awarded 9 V ratings, all being V3 or better. Her specialty show accolades for 2013 from both Australian and international judges include BISS, RUBISS, Multi Challenge Bitch, Reserve Challenge Bitch, 6 x V1, 4 x Class In Show, 1 x Class In Open Show & equal RCSA Top Bitch Conformation. We could not be happier with our young girl and look forward to another great year in 2014.

This is good!! IMO the most suitable dog for you and your situation is more about you as a dog handler/owner and less about the breed of dog. and I think this is the same in any situation. The dog anyone would like is not necessarily the best suit for their handling skills, knowledge and experience.

I echo Dyzney's post - very well said and I agree completely :) The part that I have bolded would be my main concern, not knowing enough about the OP and their experience with more dominant breeds - but provided the OP was a confident leader, willing to responsibly train and socialise their dog, and the dog was responsibly bred, then a rottweiler would certainly be my recommendation :) Exactly Allerzeit and why I said it. Not everyone has the inner fortitude to raise a Rottweiler how it should be raised. They are not difficult to raise and train, however if you are a push over and not an assertive handler that is confident and capable of following through with commitment and instruction, then the Rottweiler is not for you. This may sound a little odd (and by no mean do I mean this in offensive way) but I often say that you can tell which people would make good Rottweiler owners by looking at how well behaved their children are :D